Susan Woo on Wine and Sustainability

When you remember that Susan Woo took home Ecco Domani's 2013 Eco-Friendly Women's Ready-to-Wear award, it should come as no shock that her Fall 2013 presentation had a bar stocked with chilled bottles of wine. The real surprise was that said corks were being popped before 11 a.m. "I was so hyped up this morning, this is the only thing calming me down!" Woo told us while waving her own glass of white. "It's so great that they're here to support me. They not only gave me money to do the show, but their whole heart. They're all in. And I feel like on a day like this, you kind of need wine."

At this, we brought up the point that booze might come in handy during this stormy weather. "Oh yeah! We'll sit down, put out snacks," she said. "We'll have cheese and everything! And we can try on clothes!"

The Ecco Domani honor was "a milestone" in Woo's career, who says the sustainability factor is present in every step of the design process. "We look at the whole process, so it's definitely not just about 'organic this' and 'organic that.' It's trying to make each step as efficient as possible, to reduce waste."